View our quality and safety data of hip and knee joint replacement outcomes. UVA Orthopedics reduce risks, hospital stays, and have many other benefits compared to other facilities.
Deep Vein Thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are risks of any joint replacement surgery. DVT happens when a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins, usually in the legs. DVT is very serious because it can cause PE, which happens when a blood clot breaks loose, travels through the bloodstream, lodges in the lungs and blocks blood flow. People are at greater risk for DVT and PE when they don’t move for a long time or are confined to bed, such as after surgery. Vizient tracks the number of patients who develop DVT or PE after joint replacement surgery at UVA and other hospitals. To understand how we’re doing at preventing DVT and PE, we compare ourselves to other academic medical centers in the United States and a select group of academic medical centers similar in size to UVA.
A lower number is better.
Peer academic medical centers = a select group of academic medical centers similar in size to UVA.
Surgical Infection
All patients who undergo joint replacement surgery are at risk for infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) tracks how many patients develop infections after joint replacement surgery at UVA and other hospitals. NHSN estimates how many patients it expects to develop infections at a specific hospital based on how difficult or complex the cases at that hospital usually are. NHSN then divides the actual number of infections by the expected number of infections to determine a hospital’s standard infection ratio (SIR). An SIR below 1.0 means a hospital is doing better than expected at preventing infections.
View hip replacement infection rate data table
A lower number is better.
Data is risk-adjusted.
View knee replacement infection rate data table
A lower number is better.
Data is risk-adjusted.
Out of Bed on Day One
“Out of bed on day one” means a patient is able to get out of bed and walk the same day after surgery. Being able to move a new joint shortly after joint replacement surgery is important for long-term success. Moving shortly after surgery may also mean a shorter hospital stay. We measure how well we’re doing by measuring the percentage of patients out of bed on day one after joint replacement surgery at UVA.
A higher number is better.
Length of Stay
The number of days a patient stays in the hospital after joint replacement surgery is one way to compare the quality of care at one hospital to others. A shorter hospital stay means you get back to your normal routine sooner and you’re less at risk for other problems associated with being in the hospital. Vizient tracks the average number of days patients stay in the hospital after joint replacement surgery at UVA and other hospitals. To understand how we’re doing in this area, we compare ourselves to other academic medical centers in the United States and a select group of academic medical centers similar in size to UVA.
View length of stay data table
A lower number is better.
Peer academic medical centers = a select group of academic medical centers similar in size to UVA
Joint Replacement Outcomes : Readmission
A readmission means a patient is admitted to the hospital again within 30 days after going home from the hospital after joint replacement surgery. If a patient doesn’t have to return to the hospital within 30 days of going home after joint replacement surgery, it’s a good indication that the care team prepared the patient for a successful recovery. Many other factors affect a patient’s recovery, including the patient’s overall health and how well they are able to follow medical advice from their care team. Vizient tracks the percentage of patients readmitted within 30 days of going home from the hospital after joint replacement surgery at UVA and other hospitals. To understand how we’re doing at preventing readmissions, we compare ourselves to other academic medical centers in the United States and a select group of academic medical centers similar in size to UVA.
View readmission rate data table
A lower number is better.
Peer academic medical centers = a select group of academic medical centers similar in size to UVA